Obedience First and Work Hard

Hello!  It's been a good and busy week.  I'm learning and learning and working hard.  To answer some of your questions.  We only get to attend the temple on holidays, and I haven't gotten to yet, but the next holiday is in March sometime.  My current comp has been a member his whole life.  He has almost a year in  the mission.  I think he wants to be an electrician after the mission. District meetings we usually just talk about numbers, and more numbers, and sometimes we talk about how we can improve as a district and things.  I'd rather be out working in the field though.

We have a pensionista in this area.  That is a lady who gives us lunch everyday from her restaurant. The President of Colombia lives in my area.  Here are a few pictures of that:

Daily Living:
How I do my laundry?  Well, the first two weeks here a guy brought us a washing machine on a motorcycle, but one day he couldn't come for a few days and I had to wear dirty clothes so now we rent a washing machine in our house.  We don't have a dryer though.  We air dry everything. and no we don't have a guard here, just a house.  There are bars on the windows and two metal doors to enter, and we have a lock.   Anyways...you asked me to share what acts of kindness I did this week?  Not sure if I can think of any intentional acts of kindness.   I cooked hash browns, spaghetti, Mcmuffins, and well I cook and clean up dinner every night for my comp.  Many elders here have no idea how to cook.  Definitely a skill I am grateful for!  Thanks for teaching me.

 It's been a good week.  I defended my pickle ball championship title again!  It's a great P-Day activity.

Our weekly pickleball court

Used my birthday $$ to get some new shoes.

Obedience:
I've realized that not all the missionaries here want to or are obedient.  I've been a little frustrated with some of them. I've made too big a sacrifice to be here in the mission to let it go to waste.  I want everyone home especially you mom to know I'm working my very hardest. More than anything I want my Savior to know I respect my call to serve, and will fulfill it best of my abilities.

I am totally committed to follow the mission rules, be obedient and work hard.  This week we had a lot of success.   We had tons of new investigators and almost all of them came to church! Hopefully some of them will get baptized in 2 weeks or so.  It's looking hopeful.

Update on the Work
But as far as your questions go, this week went
well, we have like 10 or so new investigators ever yweek the tough part is having ones that progress, especially here where everyone believes in god but there are more than a million churches here.  It reminds me of the time Joseph Smith described.

The most spiritual lesson this week was with a family who we probably are going to have to leave this week.  We were  teaching the doctrine of Christ.  For me it is tough to hold back tears sometimes teaching this lesson because I know how powerful it is.
Also my first baptism is scheduled this Saturday, we have only been teaching her for a week, she is a reference who has been meeting with the other missionaries for a while at one of her friends houses but lives in our area.  She is very excited so I'll let you know how it goes next week.

Final thoughts:

My birthday package arrived! thank you soo much for the cards and the candy! tell Krissy and Grandma and Grandpa I loved their cards! sorry I couldn't wait to open it.  I had an early birthday.  I ate pretty much all the tootsie rolls, and the Reeses pieces are struggling to survive. It was a nice relief from some of the pressures this week to have a package from home, and more than anything the new photos! Everyone tells me how beautiful our family is.   I miss you guys like crazy, but there's no place I'd rather be then preaching the gospel here. I've finally got a hold on the language, I'm still getting used to the culture, but the work is really starting to pick up. I'm jealous you got to see president Eyring and Holland, those are my second and third favorite apostles!  I learn so much from all of their talks and writings.  Thanks for sharing with me.  You have named my 2,3,4,and 5 favorite apostles,  but you forgot my all time, Elder Christoffersen. I read at least two of his talks every week! 

Have a good week.  I love you all.

Elder Donaldson